1. In the opening scene of the novel, Meghann Dontess is talking to her therapist, but clearly Meghann has little or no interest in really addressing the pain in her past. Why does she see a psychiatrist? What does it say about her character that she spends time and money in pursuit of emotional well-being, but refuses to actually answer the questions posed by Dr. Bloom?

2. Meghann and Claire obviously grew up in a very dysfunctional home environment. Each has in large part fashioned a life based on the lessons learned from their inattentive/unloving mother. How are the sisters alike in their choices? How are they different?

3. Meghann often uses sex to dull the pain of her loneliness. But sex with strangers generally leaves her feeling more alienated and dissatisfied with her life. Why is she so afraid of intimacy? Why does she really have these random encounters with men?

4. In many ways, Between Sisters is a novel about the disappointments that come with love. As a hotshot divorce attorney, Meghann is particularly entwined with the daily aftermath of a love gone bad. She believes she is protecting her heart by steering clear of love, but is she? Or is she more damaged by her inability to love at all? In one scene, a client finally says to her, “What happened to you?” Meghann answers that it requires emotional armor of a sort to do her job. Is that the truth, though? How is that question–what happened to you?–the centerpiece of the novel? The question that each character must ultimately face and answer.

5. Claire is obviously scarred by her mother’s neglect and abandonment. Why is Claire more able to rebound from these wounds? Does she blame Meghann for leaving her in the first place or for never really coming back? Did Meghann make the right decision all those years ago? Would you have done the same thing in that situation?

6. Joe and Meghann both claim to be unable to truly feel their own emotions. Is that true? Or are they both able to feel loss? How are they alike in the way they handle pain?

7. Meghann is a deeply flawed and wounded character. Would she agree with this assessment? If not, why not? And if her flaws are a product of an unhappy childhood, why is Claire so different? How much do the Bluesers contribute to Claire’s happiness with her own life? Discuss the pivotal role of female friendship in our lives. Do you think it becomes even more important as we get older?

8. At the beginning of the novel, Meghann may be unhappy and aware of that unhappiness, but she is a force to be reckoned with in the legal world. How does her career as a divorce attorney play into her world view and sustain her fear of intimacy? It’s clear that as she begins to “break apart,” her ability to practice family law is one of the first things to go. Why is that?

9. What is your opinion of Meghann? She is certainly judgmental and hardheaded and critical of people and their emotions. How much of her cynicism is real? How much of it is a defense mechanism? Why is she so afraid of her own emotions? Do you know anyone like her?

10. How much of the sisters’ personalities were shaped by their shared and separate past? Who would Meghann have become if Sam had taken her in and made her a part of his family? Did she give Sam a chance or was she looking for an excuse to leave?

11. What drew you to each character? With which character did you sympathize? Did your opinions change over the course of the story?

12. The medical crisis is ultimately the catalyst for change in the novel. As is often true, terrible times can bring out both the best and the worst in people. In many ways it can be said that Meghann became her best self during the tragedy with her sister and ultimately even helped to save Claire. But how did the crisis–and Claire–save Meghann?

13. Claire’s battle with cancer brings the sisters opposing personalities into sharp focus. Each must grapple with faith and hope and the possible loss of both. How does this struggle change each character? How does the idea of death bring Meghann and Claire closer together? How does it push them apart?

14. In Between Sisters there is a deeply symbiotic relationship between the characters and the place in which they live. Each sister is defined to a great extent by where she lives. Meghann learns to adapt to, and even love, Claire’s hometown. Could Claire ever be as happy in Meghann’s world?

15. How will Claire’s life change with Bobby’s success?

16. After a lifetime of responsible, rational decisions, Claire falls in love with Bobby in one evening. Or does she? Does she really believe in love at first sight? Do you?

17. Was Claire right not to tell Bobby about her illness? Did you understand her decision? About this choice to protect her husband, Claire says to her father, “You can sacrifice for them. Isn’t that what love is?” What does this scene tell you about Claire’s idea of love?

18. What is Mama really like? When she sees Claire in the hospital, Mama’s accent disappears and she won’t let Meghann touch her. What do these little choices reveal about Mama? Do you believe she loved her daughters? Was she capable of love? And how did their mother’s view of love shape the girls sense of worth?

19. Joe is carrying a heavy burden and has been for several years. The death of his wife–and his part in it–has eroded a part of his soul. Do you think Claire is right when she says, “She shouldn’t have asked it of you?” If Diana truly loved Joe, would she have asked such a thing of him, knowing the cost? And should Joe have done it? Do you consider euthanasia an act of mercy or murder?

20. Were you surprised by the ending of the novel? Was it organic to the story, or did you feel it was too easy? What would have happened to Meghann and Joe and Ali if Claire had been less fortunate?

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

1. Ronnie is a difficult teenager who is prone to acting out and is alienated from both her parents at the start of the novel. Were you rebellious as a teenager? How was this manifested? On the other side, have you ever had to deal with a rebellious teenager? Did Ronnie’s behavior touch a nerve?

2. What do you think about the very different approaches to parenting taken by Ronnie’s mother and father? Do you think Ronnie’s mother is too intrusive or can you understand her relationship with Ronnie? Do you think Ronnie’s father is too absent, or can you understand why their relationship is the way it is?

3. Early in the novel we learn that Ronnie was a piano prodigy who performed at Carnegie Hall when she was thirteen. However, when we meet Ronnie, she hasn’t played in many years and has sworn to never play the piano again. Why does Ronnie feel this way? Who do you think Ronnie hurts more by not playing the piano: herself or her father?

4. Reflecting back on his life, Steve wonders: “Was it still possible for someone like him to experience the presence of God?” Why does Steve ask himself this? What role does religion and belief play in this novel? How would you characterize Steve’s religious faith?

5. Why does Will fall for Ronnie? Can you understand the attraction from both Ronnie’s and Will’s points of view?

6. What do you make of Blaze? How would you characterize her relationship with Marcus? Have you ever been in a relationship that was not particularly healthy? Did you stay in the relationship? If so, why?

7. Ronnie and Will fall in love very quickly over the course of the summer. Have you ever had a summer romance that became something more than a fling?

8. This novel is, in large part, about loyalty and trust. Which characters exhibit the most trustworthiness and which exhibit the least? How does a betrayal of trust affect various relationships within the novel?

9. In the middle of the novel, Will asks Ronnie how far she would go to protect a friend. Why does Will ask Ronnie this? How far would you go to protect a friend?

10. How were Jonah and Ronnie affected by their parents’ divorce? What effect does divorce have on children, in your experience?

11. Both Will and Ronnie come from families that have certain expectations of them. How do these familial expectations shape them, and in what ways do they reject these expectations?

12. Why does Ronnie get angry at Will toward the end of the novel? Do you think her anger is justified?

13. What do you think of the choices Steve and Kim make as parents? Do you think they were right in keeping certain things secret from their children?

14. Ronnie makes an important choice at the end of the novel. Would you have made the same choice if you were in her position?

15. In what ways does Ronnie change over the course of the novel? In what ways does she stay the same?

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

1. In the first sentence of the prologue, John asks: “What does it mean to truly love another?” How does John’s answer to this question change over the course of the novel? How would you answer this question?
2. Savannah and John meet when John is on a furlough from the military and they fall deeply in love after only a few days. Is their love believable? Do you think it is possible to have such an intense connection with someone you’ve only just met?
3. Trying to explain her interest in John’s dad’s coin collection, Savannah says, “The saddest people I’ve ever met in life are the ones who don’t care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand.” Do you agree with Savannah? Do you think John’s father is a satisfied man?
4. Why does John get so angry when Savannah suggests what she does about his father and how, in the end, does this revelation change John’s life and his relationship with his father?
5. Savannah is described by both herself and Tim as being somewhat naïve. Do you think Savannah is naïve? Why or why not?
6. When John goes back to Germany after his furlough, he and Savannah vow to stay in touch and to marry when he returns. Do you think it’s possible to stay in love with someone without seeing them for months or years at a time? How does being apart affect Savannah and John’s relationship?
7. John eagerly awaits his discharge from the military so he can begin a life with Savannah, but John also has a deep sense of duty and loyalty to his country and fellow soldiers. After September 11, John makes a decision that will change his life and Savannah’s life forever. Do you think John made the right decision? Does Savannah think he made the right decision? Given the outcome, do you think John regrets his decision?
8. Do you think Savannah should have waited for John to come home or do you think it was understandable that she moved on with her life?
9. After fighting in the war in Iraq, John has a hard time telling people about his experience there. Instead, when asked what it was like, he responds with a harmless anecdote about the sand because doing so “kept the war at a safe distance” for other people. What does John mean by this? In what ways does the Iraq War change John and what are his feelings about his role in the war?
10. After John’s father dies, he goes to visit Savannah. How has their relationship changed at this point? Is Savannah different from who she was in the beginning of the novel? Do you think Savannah is still in love with John?
11. How do you think John views Tim, and how do his perceptions change by the end of the novel?
12. What do you make of John’s actions at the very end of the novel? Would you have done what he did if you were in his position?
13. How do you interpret the novel’s ending? How do you imagine John’s future?